Reading Response

Long Live the Web!

I was not able to access the As We May Think article, so this is a response to the Love Live the Web article. The principle theme of this reading is the universality and the decentralization of the Web. I thought an interesting point that the reading noted was that some people seem to think that the Web is a part of nature and as it withers there is nothing that anyone can do about it. I think that this is due to the ubiquity of the Web. As we grow up, it is something that is always present, like water or sunlight. Yet, it is important to remember that we create the Web and can choose what properties it has or it lacks.
Another key distinction that the reading raised was the separation of the Web and the Internet; the Web being an application that runs on the Internet. “The two layers of technology work together but can advance independently.” The analogy that the reading used was comparing the Web to a kitchen appliance and the Internet as akin to electricity. I think understanding this separation is crucial and gives me a better understanding of the Web, because I had never thought about this concept before.